She is a petite female boxer from a country largely run by men, a Christian from a land dominated by Hindus and Muslims, a member of a hill tribe from a tiny Indian state bordering Burma. Mary Kom, or to use her formal name, Chungneijang Hmangte, is an anomaly on a small Indian Olympic squad that consistently underperforms at the Games. But the 29-year-old mother of two is one of her homeland’s top medal prospects, competing on Aug. 5 as the sole Indian entrant in women’s boxing. Her event, the 51-kg flyweight class, is in itself a milestone: women’s boxing is debuting at the London Games, and Kom’s weight class, the lightest, will be the first up in women’s-boxing history.

Boxing tends to be packed with redemptive tales of poor kids done good. But Kom was poorer than many and has come further than most. Her parents were landless farmers from Manipur, a northeastern Indian state that has been riven by insurgency for decades. The area where Kom grew up is ringed by razor wire and darkened by constant power cuts. As a child, Kom rarely ate meat or fish — it was too expensive. She was a natural athlete, though, and her future was in sport. Initially, Kom had moved from her isolated village of 300 people to the state capital to compete in track and javelin. While there, she heard about a Manipuri male boxer named Dingko Singh, who had triumphed at the 1998 Asian Games. Kom was inspired and convinced a local coach to train her as a boxer too. Within a year of strapping on gloves, she was a national champion.

Now a five-time world champion — three times before her twin boys were born, twice after — Kom will be fighting in an unfamiliar weight class in London. Women’s boxing may have gained an Olympic berth, but the sport has just three weight classes compared with 10 for the men. Previously, Kom has fought as a pinweight, in the 46-kg class, or as a light flyweight, the 48-kg category.

But at the Olympics, the lightest division is flyweight, or 51 kg. So she bulked up by two weight classes to qualify for the Games. On Aug. 5, she will face Poland’s Karolina Michalczuk, who herself scaled down from the 54-kg bantamweight division to flyweight. Kom is now ranked fourth in the 51-kg weight class, while Michalczuk is fifth. If she prevails against the Polish fighter, the Indian pugilist is guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals. (The gold-medal favorite is Ren Cancan of China, with Great Britain’s Nicola Adams another strong contender.)

Despite being one of India’s smallest states, with a population of 2.7 million people, Manipur boasts five athletes who are competing at the London Games, including another boxer from the state capital of Imphal. Kom receives a salary from the Manipur government as a police officer, but she spends much of her time, with her husband, running the M.C. Mary Kom Boxing Academy, through which she is determined to give nearly 40 disadvantaged Manipuri youth a fighting chance. Already, some of her pupils have won national titles. Success too has transformed her family. Although her parents still work in Manipur’s slash-and-burn fields, they no longer have to ration fish and meat — unless a rebel blockade stops food from entering. Meanwhile, Manipur’s underreported violence continues. A few years ago, her father-in-law was killed under mysterious circumstances, possibly by insurgents.

If Kom can strike gold, she will be doing her homeland a huge service. According to an analysis done by Australian researcher Simon Forsyth, India is the worst-ranking nation in the world if population is factored into gold-medal performance. The country of more than 1 billion people has only ever captured one Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. That victory came courtesy of Abhinav Bindra, who won the 10-m air-rifle event in 2008. (The men’s hockey team has won several gold medals, but not since 1980.) So far, in London, Indian athletes have picked up a silver and a bronze in shooting and another bronze in badminton.

On Aug. 5, her twin sons’ fifth birthday, Kom will begin her quest for an Olympic podium finish. (If she makes the quarterfinals, they are a day later and the final is on Aug. 9.) “Women’s boxing was not at all popular in India, but with some of the women doing very well, that has picked up a little bit,” said India’s boxing head coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu, after an Olympic training session. “But we expect Mary will win a medal. She is a very strong and determined girl.”

Mary Kom ... we are proud of you ... so strong, yet so humble .... exemplifies the true spirit of India ... I'm hoping you can inspire more women from all walks of society to step forward and reclaim what is rightfully theirs - glory, pride (and of course, fortune).

I'm one happy person to see Mary in glory.But the saddest part is she was and is not well recognised in her own country like she deserved to be.Five time world champion,no 1 nation wide......and still she is like you know guys.....what she is now.I used to wonder what if mary is from some other country how famous,rich and recognise she would be,get by now.She was ignored for the Baharat Ratna Khel award.India also should focus abit more on other sporting games not only cricket.Though i'm indian i agree with the author.no offence or hard feelings here.Neither i hav nothing to do with her(mary kom),i don;t know her personally either,but i do felt for her as a citizen of the same country.

We Indian are all happy whatever the media or any outside media is talking.I think the best thing we can do for her is that She needs to be recognise by the Govt. of India atleast this time............Five time world champion,no.1 nation wide was ignored for the Ratna Khel award.I used to wonder what if Mary is from other country not India how famous,rich she would have been by now.

I used to wonder,if Mary Kom is from somewhere else not India... how famous she wud be.she wud have been a very rich woman by now.Five time world champion...no.1 nation wide still living like a ..... u know.she was ignore by the media,politicians,sports.Even ignore for the Ratna Khel award.I have nothing to do with her in personal,i dnt know her personally but i really felt for her as the citizen of the same country knowing how much she derserve to be notice like our criketers Sachin Tendulkar,M.S Dhoni,so and so.God bless this beautiful,down to earth star.Mary Kom my prayer will always go with you that you wud get recognise this time.

Well said, Mary. Hope there are more of such reports on NE in the future.

As regard, castism in NE or specially in Manipur, I cannot deny that there is no castism among the majority hindu meeteis and the naga and kukis tribes but its not like the Castism in other parts of India. Its because, even the upper caste meetei hindus which are predominantly kshtariyas are converted from their ancient religion SANAMAHISM during 1700's merely 300 years. Moreover, meetei are starting to turning back to sanamahism from hinduism. Also there are many who are converting to Christianity like myself because its a better religion for us.

@Mayengbam Ranjit Luwang Can you give me a barometer that proves which religion is better than other ??

Christianity supports slavery of blacks and also Jesus Glorifies the Labor pain given to women during Pregnancy !!

Cast-ism is not an integral part of Sanatana Dharma its been made after Bharat been Colonized for 1000's of years ...

I know its a problem and I don't support Caste system but you shouldn't be Ignorant about the fact that Sanatana Dharma don't support Caste system but it is distorted due to West influence in India for 1000's of years ... !!

Well said, Mary. Hope there are more of such reports on NE in the future.

As regard, castism in NE or specially in Manipur, I cannot deny that there is no castism among the majority hindu meeteis and the naga and kukis tribes but its not like the Castism in other parts of India. Its because, even the upper caste meetei hindus which are predominantly kshtariyas are converted from their ancient religion SANAMAHISM during 1700's merely 300 years. Moreover, meetei are starting to turning back to sanamahism from hinduism. Also there are many who are converting to Christianity like myself because its a better religion for us.

Ignorance is not the factor here idiot. Even America is obsessed with Baseball. Uk amp; European Countries are obsessed with Only Football but yet there are other participants who participate In other Games. Just say India doesnt have enough talent or people here are too lazy to participate in SUch games.

The problem in this article is "sensationalism". The same that created Oscar award for "Slumdog Millionaire" instead of several greater Indian films with wonderful acting and meaning. The same "sansationalism" that rewards Mumbai Dabbawallas and ignores the brilliance of Infosys.

Westerners like to see India of Snake Charmers, Dabbawallas, Slum Dwellers. SOmeone should just stop it!

We Indians are resilient people. Most have lived through odds, but this does not mean you pity any one of us or show us in poor light. Just look at an Athlete as a great player.

If the player had a tough time in life, let him/her decide whether he wants to share it that way. Do not create sensations just for eyeballs and a media benefit! We know this media game very well now

@Vishwadeep Khatri The reason they Ignore brilliance of Infsys is that they know that Infosys is following west and their rules of management and nothing to be surprised about !!

But when they see Dabbawala they are stunned as they have got Sigma level 6 which many big companies don't get with proper management but Dabbawala without paper management, challenge western Management system !!

I get your point of view about what westerns like to see India as !! But When India challenge west with their method you must feel proud as they are not blindly following west as half of India but instead creating something new that is ever better !!

I don't want to be offensive here but the writer of this article seems have very little exposure of this world...so i suggest the writer to get out of her small little country and try to explore the world around her...who knows it might help her writting in future

first of all india is not a land dominated by hindus and muslims. thats where i stopped reading your article..india is a secular country(at least some states) and you should travel the length and depth of the country before writting an article about it or you get embarrassed like this. Everything about india is diverse and each state have different conditions and living standards like different countries in europe, everything about india varies from state to state.. .. some states are christian dominated and some are hindu dominated and some are muslim dominated. get your facts right before writing an article. all of the north east are christian majority states and

southern state of kerala is culturally dominated by 1 century christians called syrian christians who are older Christians than the one in america and uk..how ironic..lol

then there is Goa, i dont even need to explain about..another significant christian influenced state from 1500..or even earlier..

Well you are an ignorant one. I'm Sure the syrian Christians didn't contribute anything in spread of Gospel around India, forget about the world. Goa??? the place of prostitution, adultery, sinful life??? What significance you are talking about? I give you a Suggestion..Pray for Mary, rather than writing this useless demographic dumbo. Look at Mary, after her win, she lifts her hand and praises God.

Especially your comment about Syrian Christians of kerala, if they didnt spread gospel, why are they having all the recognised saints of this country?

ajai is right that they are one of the oldest Christians in the world.

They gave most of the hospitals and schools of kerala and then pretty much all the higher educational centres for 100s of years and first news papers to business organisations of kerala are started by them. They have Given many Chief ministers to ministers for kerala and even gave a corruption-less defence minister for the country.

they contributed so much that, kerala is now Indias most educated state and even had some of the most decorated athletes and have a living conditions similar to developed country, that is how you contribute for a country not by just spreading gospel.

They culturally contributed for kerala so therefore it helped india too. thats why kerala have very less sectarianism and most of the hindus go to churches and even wear crosses and most of the xtians even visit temples. myself a hindu from kerala.

karan, syrian christians dont have to spread religion all over world, its not up to them and not their job, you are an idiot...i was just letting the author know india has a better Christian history than her country, which she didnt know.

and christianity is not(should not) about forcing others to join.

your comment about prostitution: on a careful c0nsideration most of prostitutes in goa arent really from goa and thats what happens when a state become tourist hub and have better living conditons. most of them are from northern states.other than talking nonsense you havent really proved any of my argument was wrong, numpty.what is your argument here useless?

i was correcting the author for not knowing the cultural and regional diversity of country. you are complaining about prostitution in goa and keralites not spreading xtianity. it doesnt make a flipping sense. why dont u just disappear?

Ok. Stop. What is this about...... It is TIME.com, a respectable publication's web presence. They would not probably go wrong in their assessment of this country of ours. Haw Haw. Haw Haw. I like time. And I like all Americans. I like all of em. Haw Haw....

All said and done, its about individual will and determination that leads to success in any field. Add to that smartness in today's world. It would be wrong to keep highlighting the low caste/upper caste/rich/poor, etc.. If we really want a world where people fight on equal terms, we should discard these words like ST(scheduled tribes)/BC(backward class), etc. Will we keep pointing out that Usain Bolt is a black american every now and then and keep commenting like "despite being a dark american he won so many medals"? We just call him an American. Right? No self-respecting person would like to be given pity or get some freebies just because they are from lower class of a society. They wuld love to win as an individual and on a global level. And what better stage than Olympics??. And all the best to Mary Kom for her Olympic campaign. Expecting a gold from her!

Um, I am confused- why would you start the article with a Christian/ Hindu/ Muslim angle? As for a commentator here saying there are facts, of course they are- but nevertheless the facts placed in the context of the article are not accidental. Why didn't the author go on to then list the male/ female percentage ratio in India or any other xyz facts?

Mary Kom is Indian...as are 1.2 billion of us. I went to a school with Hindus/ Muslims/ Christians all sitting next to each other without once discussing religion- some are life long friends. It was a Roman Catholic School run by Catholic nuns. Yet, we sung the national anthem and school song before we sung any religious ones- and all of us participated happily in singing hymns...

So stop with the shallow view of India- and start with the only fact that matters: Mary Kom is Indian, and we are proud of her.

Whether we've made her life easy/ difficult or given her enough support or recognition is another matter altogether and open to debate.I think not. In a nation obsessed with cricket and cricket alone, every other sport is ignored.

How many women heads of state has US had? How many non Christian athletes are in the US team? Any fool can analyze that India has the lowest Olympic medals ratio. But a little understanding or perspective would explain why. Read the much more profound article in "The Atlantic" on reasons for India's poor Olympic record. This is cheap and pitiful.

How many women heads of state has US had? How many non Christian athletes are in the US team? Any fool can analyze that India has the lowest Olympic medals ratio. But a little understanding or perspective would explain why. Read the much more profound article in "The Atlantic" on reasons for India's poor Olympic record. This is cheap and pitiful.

BHARATI SHAHDIA: You want western media to portray true picture of North East? Let me tell you what the true story. North East Indians have been systematically subjugated, denied the same economic opportunities as the rest of India and are racially discriminated. The rest of India calls them chinkis. ( Read Indian newspapers about racism against North East people. There is a debate on it in popular media) Most of the people from the North East come from tribal communities that have exploited by the upper caste and class. The exploitation created an environment for insurgency in the region supported by the people. The Indian government has its army posted in this region. An army that regularly rapes the local women. ( Read recent reports of army atrocities that was caught on tape by a journalist in Assam) Of course the insurgents have their own vested agendas and the army its own.The people who have everything to lose are the locals: The tribals who converted to Christianity to escape the atrocities of the upper. Now that is the true story of North East India. Now the author has done Indians a favor by showing how someone from such a humble background can make it all the way to the Olympics. The article gives you hope about an individual and the society she lives in: That maybe despite all the horrible stories we hear about discrimination and atrocities committed towards the people of the North East there is still a beacon of light! Additionally, data on India's dismal performance in Olympics should not be swept under the carpet or reports on its society dismissed as western media's bad portrayal of a country. How about seeing it as a chance to open a debate and find solutions to problems ailing India?!

I am from Manipur, and believe me everything about the article is true, not a western ploy to defame somebody or something like that. Anywayz, I m so proud our boys and girls are shining in the olympics despite our (very) difficult circumstances.

Why stupid people are arguing here?? The only thing that matters here is that Mary Kom is an Indian and I expect her to win as she is the only hope for Indians now to win a Gold Medal. God Bless her!!!

I think that the reporter at Time has very little knowledge of the region. I grew up in the US but have learned quite a bit about the Northeast of India after spending time in India. I also know why the author of the article may have chosen not to call the insurgence or rebels by name - The author clearly did not want to upset China since the rebels are Maoists/Communists and are supported by China. Also it should be noted that the region the author refers to has a large buddhist population too.

However, this should not take away from the great story of a person that has had to overcome financial hardships to do a country proud. This is what make India great. She did not have the resources thrown at her like the Chinese athletes or athletes from other countries. She did it mostly on her own (with the help and knowledge of others that did the same). Someday the Indian politicians will wake up and do something for the country such as Mary Kom has done by sheer will alone.

US reporters know very well that any one who writes against China, albeit the truth, is unlikely to ever again get a visa. So those who have spent a lifetime studying China are very careful about what they say.... to maintain their careers. Understandably!

Which part of the article is factually incorrect? I am an Indian who happened to be born in the North East of India, but not one of those who has drunk the kool-aid and take offence at any article that has the temerity to point out a balanced view, not just the "India shining" view. This article is written not just for Indians, but for others who may not have as deep an understanding, and the author does a great job of providing the background and situational context around Mary's achievements. The bottom-line in my opinion is India is lucky to have the NE region help it in its Olympic aspirations, though it has, since independence, been one of the most neglected regions on India. Even today when people from the NE visit Delhi, Bombay, etc, they are often asked "which country are you from?" and mocked for looking different. No wonder there is an insurgency there!

Each region can develop itself. Why blame or wait for some center and others' taxes and knowhow? The NE or SE or whatever, all have clever people who can certainly manage things well and often have. None of us have any excuse today. Great opportunities are here, right now. Those who take them are successful.

If you really want to separate and feel you can do better, sooner or later you will. Mumbai, Maharashtra sends out the most in taxes: it certainly does NOT get the most back.

While you know things I do not, I certainly believe success is possible.

You can't be serious? Everything you just said sounds seriously juvenile. Are you actually suggesting that people should go out and build their own schools if they can't find a school, or that they should go out and build their own hospitals and then create their own medical colleges to train doctors? Get a grip -- people elect a govt. to perform certain duties for them.

But wait -- this article is not about politics of the Northeast, or the insurgency (no matter who caused it or fosters it), NOPE. This is about a girl who beat a lot of odds to be on the verge of an Olympic medal. And don't get on your soap box about how religion is not important.. blah blah blah -- our whole country runs on religion and religion drives, stops, breaks, builds, and destroys our nation on a daily basis, so stop kidding yourself.

Everything in this article is a fact.

She hails from a poor family - FACT.

She is a Christian and a minority in a country that's deeply religious at all levels -- FACT.

There is insurgency in Manipur (regardless of the politics behind it) -- FACT.

There are ridiculous power cuts in most parts of the country -- FACT.

The writer does an admirable job of not dwelling on any of these issues and just focuses on the athlete.

It is an insult to all the poor and struggling millions to suggest that great opportunities are available for everyone. Shake yourself out of your deluded world and try an imagine a world without a proper home, nutrition, healthcare, education (or a prospect of a good .. strike that.. "decent" education). And then imagine having to sustain a family under those conditions. There are outliers to a norm -- that does not mean that the outlier is the standard for everyone else to be measured against.

If you do not indepedently control raising of tax revenue or the allocation of resources, then you must depend on the center. Don't know if you meant to or not, but you have actually just described the very rationale behind separatist and insurgent movements -- they want to control their own destiny and not depend of the center.

she is one of the best athletes India have ever produced its not imp to mention India is about hindu ,muslims ,poor or rich its about Mary Kom ..a women, mother and gr8 ambassador of her sports hope she will win gold good luck to her

Her feat shows that India is no more ran by male. We share the responsibilities. Women are raped here like they r in ur nation, women give birth to babies like they do in ur nation and women do household chores like they do in ur country. Nonetheless appreciate ur story. Just one thing, could you not file the story without camouflaging it with the negatives around in the country. I am sure u could.